Genealogy Hints
Genealogical Society of Marion County, Indianatiming of recording
Vital records and event information are more reliable when they are recorded near the time of the happening. The longer the time from the event occurrence that the record is made, the less accurate it may be based on the memory of the person involved.
non-certified copy
When ordering a death, marriage or birth certificate, request a non-certified copy. It contains exactly the same information as the certified copy but is less expensive.
calculating birth date
To find a birth date from a death date, subtract the age in years, months and days from the date of death. This is a very close approximation.
types
Vital Records include birth, marriage, divorce and death records.
Marriage Records
Marriage Records may only be records of the wedding. However, you may also find the Application for Marriage completed by the bride and groom-to-be. Marriage records may also be corroborated with church records.
Death Records
Death Records can be the least accurate records depending upon the knowledge of the person reporting the information about the deceased. Unfortunately, you will never be able to report your own information. How much do your children know about you?
Birth Records
Birth Records are difficult to obtain because they can be (mis)used for so many purposes. You may be required to provide proof of relationship and proof of the person's death.
pay sites and free sites
There are pay sites and free sites. The major pay site is ancestry.com, but also WorldVitalRecords, Archives and many others. The major free sites are familysearch.org and Rootsweb.com
Mailing list benefit
Join a Mailing List so E-mails about subjects of the list will come to your e-mail box. Be sure to subscribe to the GSMC list.
Podcast
Podcast is "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio (or video) player."